Success fuels Seven Rivers

By KEITH NIEBUHR

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 24, 2001

LECANTO -- Three standouts are gone and the schedule figures to be tougher, but Seven Rivers Christian coach Greg Hamilton is not about to wave the white flag.

"I see a lot of potential," Hamilton said.

In 2000, the Warriors were the area's surprise team.

They claimed district and regional titles, finished 16-5 and came within two wins of taking the state championship. Their trip to the Class A final four is the greatest single achievement in the school's brief athletic existance.

But last year's most valuable player, setter Sherry Atwood, graduated, along with Julie Green and Kristyn O'Neal, also major contributors.

"They're going to be difficult to replace," Hamilton said. "We lost three very experienced players.

"I think what we'll miss most about Sherry is her leadership skills. She also did a tremendous job of serving, especially in the opening game. We scored a lot of points off her serve."

Seven Rivers is not without talent.

Among its four returning starters is 5-foot-11 setter/middle blocker Danielle Albury, a junior and solid area player of the year candidate. She earned Times All-Citrus/Hernando honors and was a Class A all-state fourth-team pick in 2000.

"Albury has become a much stronger player over the summer," Hamilton said. "She's a gifted athlete."

Returning players Amy Cortese, Kristen Cortese, Wendy Heaton and Valerie Sherouse provide a nice blend of talent and experience. Freshmen newcomers Rachel Ebert and Alice Ziess are expected to contribute.

"Our experience is a strength," Hamilton said. "I like them all."

The district, once relatively soft, includes 2000 Class A state runner-up Orlando Pine Castle Christian and Mount Dora Bible, which dropped from 2A.

Getting back to the postseason will be a tough challenge for the Warriors.

"The success has led them this year," Hamilton said. "They're very fired up about volleyball. They're excited about the season and the opportunity that it holds."

FOR THE FANS

ADMISSION: Schools charge $2-$4.

SEASON: Regular-season matches begin Monday and conclude Oct. 23.

CLASSIFICATIONS: Teams are divided by enrollment into six classes of roughly an equal number of schools, ranging from the largest in Class 6A to the smallest in Class A.

DISTRICTS: Lecanto is in Class 4A, District 7 with Central, Leesburg and Springstead. Citrus and Crystal River are in 3A-6 with Dunnellon, Hernando, Ocala West Port and Williston. Seven Rivers Christian is in A-7 with Montverde, Mount Dora Bible, Ocoee Central Florida Christian, Orlando Christian, Orlando Faith Christian, Orlando Lutheran, Orlando Pine Castle Christian and Orlando West Oaks Academy.

STATE COMPETITION: District tournaments are scheduled for Oct. 22-26, regional tourneys Oct. 30 and the state tournament Nov. 8-10 in Lake Buena Vista.

CAPSULES

CITRUS

COACH: Pam Woznicki, third year.

KEY RETURNEES: Alyse Johnson, Sr., OH; Alycia LePage, Jr., OH; Brittany Doyle, Jr., MB; Elisa Masson, Sr., OH.

TOP NEWCOMERS: Amber Presnick, Jr., OH/MB; Jessica Acosta, Sr., S; Whitney Gelin, Jr., OH/MB; Kalli Grimes, So., DS.

OUTLOOK: The Hurricanes return one player from last year's 5-13 season in Johnson, but must cope with the loss of four key starters, including senior setter Sarah Deddo. She moved to Georgia in the off-season. Citrus, once again, will be in a rebuilding phase, but one that could be alleviated by the Hurricanes' solid athleticism. Returning starters LePage and Masson will provide the offense, along with Doyle, who gives the team some size in the middle. The key will be how long it takes to mold the newcomers in with the existing starters. Presnick and Gelin have distinguished themselves in other sports, but will need time to acclimate to volleyball. Equally important is the development of Acosta into a consistent setter.

CRYSTAL RIVER

COACH: Trudee Lightbody, 10th year.

KEY RETURNEES: Julie Fioretti, Sr., MB; Melissa Coburn, Sr., S/OH; J.J. Bullion, Sr., OH; Lisandra Vazquez, Jr., OH; Alisa Tisdale, Jr., S/OH.

TOP NEWCOMER: Jennifer McRae, So., MB.

OUTLOOK: Crystal River finished as one of the area's hottest teams last year, and the Pirates will be looking to build on that success. They made it to the final of the district tournament and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Keystone Heights. Crystal River returns a solid core of three seniors and two juniors, including Bullion, a three-year starter who missed the 2000 season with a knee injury. The only down side is that just about everyone behind the starters are sophomores with little varsity experience. Lightbody is counting on the younger players making contributions by the end of the season, especially McRae (6-foot), a standout in basketball who Lightbody thinks eventually can turn into a dominant middle blocker.

LECANTO

COACH: Karen Dickson, 18th year.

KEY RETURNEES: Kylene Colasanti, Sr., S; Jill Bandhauer, Sr., MB; Shannon McConnell, Sr., S; Alyssa Anderson, Sr., OH; Mandy Wade, Sr., MB; Amanda Whitelaw, Jr., OH.

TOP NEWCOMERS: Stacy Lowe, Jr., OH/MB; Kacie Henderson, Jr., OH; Megs Brown, Jr., S; Lindsey Dunn, Jr., OH; Lisa Carter, Jr., S; Heather Pontius, Jr., MB.

OUTLOOK: For Dickson, it really doesn't get much better than this. The Panthers have five returning seniors, including two of the area's best athletes in Bandhauer and Colasanti. The only drawback for this unit is its lack of height, something Dixon hopes their athleticism will overcome. Look for Bandhauer to be a force in all aspects of the game as Dickson tries to exploit her leadership and leaping ability. Colasanti and McConnell are the floor leaders, and their setting ability will be crucial in terms of establishing the tempo for the rest of the team. Lecanto was upset by Central in last year's district tournament, and a similar setback would be surprising. The Panthers should be one of the favorites in a district that includes Central, Springstead and Leesburg.

SEVEN RIVER CHRISTIAN

COACH: Greg Hamilton, third year.

KEY RETURNEES: Danielle Albury, Jr., S/MB; Amy Cortese, So., S; Kristen Cortese, Sr., LB/OH; Wendy Heaton, Sr., LB/OH; Valerie Sherouse, Sr., MB/OH.

TOP NEWCOMERS: Rachel Ebert, Fr., MB/OH; Alice Ziess, Fr., S/MB.

OUTLOOK: The Warriors return four starters from last year's Class A state semifinal team. They will, however, have to replace solid players in setter Sherry Atwood, back row standout Julie Green and middle blocker Kristyn O'Neal, who is 5-11. Atwood was a Times All-Citrus/Hernando pick and is playing basketball at Central Florida Community College In Ocala. The top returning player is the 5-11 Albury, who is versatile enough to perform anywhere on the court. The key position for Seven Rivers could be setter, where Albury, Amy Cortese and Ziess, a well-skilled freshman, will split time. The Warriors are talented and experienced, but will be pushed in a district that includes 2000 Class A state runner-up Orlando Pine Castle Christian. The experience of getting to the final four should help the Warriors.

-- CAREY FREEMAN and KEITH NIEBUHR

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